About the Book

The Indonesian term adat means ‘custom’ or ‘tradition’, and carries connotations of sedate order and harmony. Yet in recent years it has suddenly become associated with activism, protest and violence. This book investigates the revival of adat in Indonesian politics, identifying its origins, the historical factors that have conditioned it and the reasons behind its recent blossoming.

It considers whether the adat revival is a constructive contribution to Indonesia’s new political pluralism or a divisive, dangerous and reactionary force, and examines the implications for the development of democracy, human rights, civility and political stability.

The Revival of Tradition in Indonesian Politics provides detailed coverage of the growing significance of adat in Indonesian politics. It is an important resource for anyone seeking to understand the contemporary Indonesian political landscape.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction: radical conservatism - the protean politics of adat David Henley and Jamie S. Davidson 2. Colonial dilemma: Van Vollenhoven and the struggle between adat law and Western law in Indonesia C. Fasseur 3. Custom, that is before all law Peter Burns 4. Custom and koperasi: the cooperative ideal in Indonesia David Henley 5. The romance of adat in the Indonesian political imagination and the current revival David Bourchier 6. Land, custom and the state in post-Suharto Indonesia: a foreign lawyer's perspective Daniel Fitzpatrick 7. Return of the sultans: the communitarian turn in local politics Gerry van Klinken 8. Adat in Balinese discourse and practice: locating citizenship and the commonweal Carol Warren 9. The many roles of adat in West Sumatra Renske Biezeveld 10. Culture and rights in ethnic violence Jamie S. Davidson 11. Adat revivalism in western Flores Maribeth Erb 12. From bumiputera to masyarakat adat: a long and confusing journey Sandra Moniaga 13. From customary law to indigenous sovereignty: reconceptualizing the scope and significance of masyarakat adat in contemporary Indonesia Greg Acciaioli 14. The masyarakat adat movement in Indonesia: a critical insider's view Arianto 15. Adat in Central Sulawesi: contemporary deployments Tania M. Li

About the Editors

Jamie S. Davidson is Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore. He has written on ethnic violence and politics in Indonesia, and now works on the politics of legal reform in the same country.

David Henley is a researcher at the Royal Netherlands Institute of Southeast Asian and Caribbean Studies (KITLV) in Leiden. He has written on diverse aspects of the history and historical geography of Indonesia, and now works on the comparative economic histories of Southeast Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.